Mechanical musical instrument.



'4 SHEETSSHEET l.

Patented Feb. 14, 1911.

\h\\\-7///////////// /A/////7/////////////////////////f H. P. BALL,MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT, APPLIUATION FILED FEB. 20, 1903.

iFIGML APPLICATION FILED PEKZO, 1903;

Patented Feb. 14, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FIGB.

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v w 5 5 w w H, P BALL, MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. APPLICATION FILEDFEB, 20, 1903.

984,256. Patented Febhl, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

1 ies. a 15 19.5.

6'0 TTORN Y UNITED" STATES PAEENT OFFICE;

HENRY Pinon satin, or NEW-YORK, N. Y., nssmnonor ONE-HALF TO s'AmurLINSULI),

'OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS MECHANICAL music an ms'rnumnu'r.

'12) all whomit rim-y concern: I

Be it known that I, HENRY PRICE BALL, a

citizen of the United States','residing"at New- York city, county andState of New York,

have invented certain new anduseful Ini-fl 'provements' in MechanicalMusical Instr-n ments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to mechanical mu: slcal instrumentsof the typeemploying perforated music rolls and adapted when used "in connectionwith a piano, organ'or other snnllarinstrument, toproduce upon said in-.strument the musical tones constituting musical composition, and whichare eliected bya'series of perforations in such music 'hy a valve theefi'ective air pressure. Such means for altering the normal value ofthenotes havc,-in practice, been found unsatisfactory, owing to the factthat the operator cannot through such means control the value ofindividual notes which are immediately;preceded or followed by othernotes or.

; any particular .notefsuch asthe theme or melodynote, in a chord.

-My invention has for its object to control the value of the individualnotes produced, Iwhcther produced simultaneously with other notes ornot, by controlling the effective air pressure through either automaticor manual means, or both. My invention, therefore, consists in themechanism employed for controlling tliecllective'air pressure exerted toproduce; the individual notes. The general ob 'ect-o'f my invention isto perfect-and increase the variety of musical results obtainablethrough the use of mechanical musicalinstruments such, for example,as'accentuating the theme or melody notes or tones over and above thebalance of I the tones. or in other Words. to. subdue the accuupaniments and accent the air.'

Specification of Letters Yatent. PathtdFel). 14:,191L. Applicationfiled-February 20, 1903. Serial No.

illustrate such a device as ma be employed to carrymyinvention into e vect. I wish it understood, however, that I do'not limit myselfto ,theparticular.meehanism shown, as

produce the sameresult.

it will be obvious that many other different forms of mechanism may beemployed which will act in substantially the same manner to Inthe-device'which I-have shown in the drawings, the pneumatic mechanismem- :ever, arrange th'emechanism so that it will be operated by an underpressure.

ployed isad apted to be operated by the pres sure-of the atmosphere,made effective through exhaust apparatus. I may, how- Figure .l is avertical section of a mechanical musical instrument taken on the'l nea=aof Fig. 3. 2 showstwo vertical sections taken respectively throughthe'top and b0t- .tom of the instrument onlthe line Z)b of Fig. 3, andalsolshowing a modificationot the arrangement of the pn'emnatics. Fig. 3

is a view showing the uppejitportion of the instrument in frontelevatwil and the middle portion containing the pneumatics in foursections on the liner-c of F ig. 4. Fig. :t' is 'a plan view, and threehorizontal sections a plan view of a portion of the musicstrip and thetip of the tracker-board. Fig. 6 is taken on the line (Z-(Z. ofFigQ3.'Eigl 5is communicating ports and channels corre-.

sponding to Fig. '1'. Fig. 7 is a section through the secondarypneumatic on the line c-e ot Fig. 6. .Fig. 8 is a-detail sectional viewshowing the valves in the equalizing wind chest in a different positionfrom that shown in Fig. 2.

'In' this specification I will describe the device'and'itsavperation sofar as relates to the production of two notes of the same key; I v. 6.,a note having its normal value and a note accentuated or' otherwiseincreased -ahove thenormal value. ,Itwill be under- The accompanyingdrawings will serve to,

stood that in the device the co-acting pneumatic mechanisms, with theexception of the bellows, is repeated forea'ch noteto' be produced.Referring to thedrawings, 5 indicates the iuclosing case of theinstrument, Iwhich may be given any suitable shape. Located in theupperpart of the instrument and in the usual posit-ion is'a trackerboard 6. This tracker board is provided with twoseries of intermediate01 the series ofducts S. For the purposes'of description, the series ofthat the. tracker. ducts 8 are not primarilyparaIIeLtracker ducts 7, 8,with the ducts of the series 7 located to the rear of and note trackerducts but co-actwith. the tracker ducts 7 to accentuate notes'producedthrough the instrumentality of the tracker ducts 7.

It; will be understood that the note tracker-ducts 7 may be usedindependently of thef modifying tracker-ducts b.

Arranged to move over the tracker board is a perforated music strip 9,Figs; 3 and 5. Thlsstrip is provided with two series of perforationsarrangedin alternate parallel,

zoneslongitudinally ofthe music strip; the perforations 10 or 10constituting one series and the perforations 11 theother series.

The perforations 10, 10 I'will term forthe purposes of description the'note perforations and the perforations 11 the' modifying perforations.The note-perforations 10, 10, are arranged to register with note trackerducts and the modifying perforations 11 with the modifying tracker ducts8. p p H It will be observed that the perforations 10', 11, bear thesame relation to-each other,

so faras regardsposition, as the tracker ducts 7 '8, and thatconsequently when the music strip 9 moves over the tracker board in thedirection of the arrow, indicated in Fig. 5, the beginningofperforations 10 and 11 will simultaneously be brought into relationwith the tracker ducts-7, .8, and will act to produce an accented note;whereas, when the perforation 10'? moves over the tracker boardtherewill be produced a note .of normal value. a I

Q music strip. f

I will now describe the pneumatic mechanism which is 4 thrown intoaction by the movement of the music strip over the tracker board andwhich serves'to produce a note of normal value, oraccentua-ted abovenormal in accordance with the perforations in the Located belowthe tracker-board' are the pneumatics. There are four 'pneumatics' for eachnote to be soundod," and these I term 15.. In the drawings, Figs. 1, 2,3, four of,

for purposes of description-the primary pneumatics 12, the low ressurcsecondarypneumatics 13,-the. high pressure pneumatics 14, the powerpneumat-ics each type of pneumatics are shown and in 7 the drawings,Fig. 6, four-primary, one see- 1 shown as located in ,airpassages-between the ;atmosphere and the s .condary pnenmatics l3.Correspondingprimary pneumatics might'alsobe located in the airpassagesbetween the atmosphere and the high pressure neumatics 14, butsuch are not shown. I

be so used.

Each primary pneumatic 12 consists of a flexible dished diaphragm-16secured at its :edges' in. a suitable chamber and having valves 18', 19.The space below each diaphragm is connected through air passages 20 withthe tracker ducts 7 in the tracker board (5, and the s paces above thediaphragm 16 are connected through air passages 21, 22, 23 (see Fig.with the high pressure wind chest 24, Fig. 1.

from'the chambers above the-diaphragms 16 to the air passage-26, whichcommunicates with the space below the dia hragms of the 26' to theexternal air. The spaces'above the diaphragms 16 are also connectedthrough which bleed holes permit the air under the passages 20 into thespaces above the diaphragm and from thence through the high pressurewind chest 24, when the trackerducts 7 are closed to the atmosphere,thus equalizing a' pressure above and below the diaphragm 16.

Each secondary pneumatic 13 consists of a flexible diaphragm 28, securedat its edges in a suitable chamber and having mounted upon it a stem29,]carrying the valves 30, 31. The valve 30 is yieldinglysupported onthe valve stem 29 by means :of a spring 30*, and controls port 32. Thevalve. 31 controls the port 32. The spaces above the diaphragms 28 areconnected through air-passages 34', 35-, 36, Fig. 7 with a low pressurewind chest 37 Fig. 2. 3 3 is an air-passage leading from the secondarypneumatic 13, to, the power pneumatic 15.

usual, of a vertically arranged bellows haying one-side fixed and theother side movable.

' Each power pneumatic 15 is provided with an arm40, which cpoperateswith a hori: zontal rod 41,"and bell-crank 42, pivoted at 43. To thelower side of the horizontal arm of the bell-crank lever is secured aflat cushion 44, which is located over a key 45 of a piano or othermusical instrument 46, The

lines Figs. 1 and 2.

The partsas described serve to.produce a note of normal value, .asfollows: When a perforation 10 passes over a tracker-duct 7,

The valves 18 control portsf25, leading diaphragms 16 to be exhaustedthrough the ;Each power pneumatic 15 consists, as is 'keys andinstrumentare indicated in dotted air isallow'ed to enter under thediaphr'agxnwish it understood, however, that they may imounted upon it a. stem 17,carrying the secondary pneumatics 13. he valvedisks 19 control ports 27,leading 'fromthe passage bleed holes. 20, with the air passages 20,

, pneumatic, at such time; occupies the posi- 16 of a primary pneumaticwhich primary tlon shown at 121 at the left of Fig. 6, and

,atsueh time the air in the space above the pressure'ot the atmosphereunder the diaphragm 16 causes the diaphragm 16 who moved upward orexplode to the position I phere to enter under the diaphragm 28 of asecondary pneumatic The air above the avind chest 37.

shown at 12 on the lifting the valves l8, 19, closing port25, andopening port 27. The openingot' the port 27. allows air atthe pressureof the atmos 13. which at such time occupies the position diaphragm 28-at such time is exhausted under The pressure of the atmosphere under thediaphragm 28 causes such'diaphragm, and with it. 'the valves 30,131, asshown at 13, Fig. (3. .to move upwardthereby closing ports 2-32, 32

.-\\'hen, however, the valve occupies the position shown 'at 13, Fig.C,- both ports are closed by their valves, but if the pressure 30 issuch as to overcome the spring 30, the disk 30- yields for the passageotair from the power pneumatic through the'passages 33, 34'a1id to thelow tension This action permits-the low n'essnre wind chest 37 toexhaust. the air through the port38 and passage 33 from in front of thebellows of the power pneumatic 15, therebypermitting-the pressure of theatmosphere on the out-side of the bellows to above the disk collapse thebellows moving a rod.41 and through causing the cushion 44 on thehorizontal end of the bell crank to strike a key of the piano 'it a bellcrank lever 42,- thereby and produce a note. It will be observed thatdependent the blow imparted by the bell ci'ankwill be upon the degree ofexhaustion of air from in front of the -bellows"15 through lowprcssurewii id ches 37, and, assuming that such degree of exhaustionisunit'orm under normal condit:ions,.it.-is evident that the blowsimparted by each f'the part. of the airpassage 33. Each'cha-mberdiaphragm 47 by.

bell cranks to the keys will be uniform.

I will now describe how a note may be accented-z Each high pressurepneumatic '14 consists of a flexible diaphragm 47,secured at its edgesin av suitable chamber and having mounted upon it a stem 48 carrying aval vc 49, which moves within a chamber 50,

and controls a port 52., The interior of these chambers is connectedthrough passages 515.23, 22, Fig. 3, with the high pres sure wind chest'24; The space below the no diaphragm 47 is-connected through the pas--'sage- 53 v with a modifying' tracker-duct 8, and the spaceabove thediaphragm-forms with the space zlre'low its a bleed hole 53, which 50 isconnected right of Fig. 6, thereby] y y tions- 10, 11, is moved overtracker board indicated at 13 Fig. 7. e

the action of the phragm 4T aud'm the passage 53; to be i lrawn underthe action of thc'lngh pressure twmd chest 24, through vhejn thetrackerduct-s 8 areclosed to the other words, rendering the diaphragm 47and valve 49 lnactivejat such time. Assummg now that music strip havmgperforaber- 50 above thediaphragm being'atsuch time exhausted throughthe high. pressure wind-chest 24. The diaphragm'47 will therefore beliftedtandwill raise valve 49 and i open port 52, thereby subjecting theinside l'of the bellows 15 to the exhaust from the 1 high pressure windchest 24, acting through l the'chzunbel' 50 and air passages 51, 22, 23.It willlbeobsta'ved by reference to JJigs. 3 and 5 that the:perforations 1'0, 11, are adapted to register with 'the tracker ducts 7,8, at the same primary pneumatic l2, secondary pneumatic I 13, -a l 1ighpressure pneumatic 14, and a power penmnaticlS, will be actuated at approximately the same moment, and such power pneumatic will be subjectedto an exhaust action represented by the difference between the pressureof the atmosphere and the exhaust from the high pressure wind 'chest,(ui in other words,the-power pneumatic will at suchtime be subjected tothe exhaust fronrthe high pressure windchest, instead of that from thelow pressure wind chest, thus the notestruck upon the piand I bleed holepermits the air under'the diaatmosphere. thus equalizing the pressure"above and below the dlaphragm 47, or*in the chamber 50,

described, and at the" moment, consequently a wall be accented overnotes operated by the' lojv pressure exhaust. At such' time the Valve 30of the secondary pneumatic 13 will close the 'por't2325 as the pressureto whichit is subjected on its upper side by the exhaust 'from the highpressure wind chest 34, will be less than thatto whichitis subjected onits lower side from the low pressure wind chest 37. i

The mechanism so 4 related 'w'holl'y to. the'autom'atic means employedfor sounding a. normal note and an accentuated note. I will now describemeans which may be manually operated to modify a note.

Referrin to Figs. 2 and 8: There is shown as located etwecn the airpassages 23,136, a w ind'ches't 54, and which I term theequal-.

far as described had izing wind chest, in that itis employed to limitthe volume of high pressure exhausted alrwlnch 1s thrown at any timeintothe low pressure wind chest, and alds in mainta ning a constantdifference between the high and low pressure wind chests' This windchest 54 is connected with the high-pressure wind chest, through aport-55, and with the low pressure windchest, through a port 56.

Arranged to be reciprocated in the wind chest 54, is a rod 57, and'mountedupon this rod are valves 58, 59. The valve 58 controls the port55,'and the valve59 the port 56.

In order to reciprocate the rod 57, I make use ofthe vertical rod 60,the upper and lower ends of which are provided with crank arms 61, 62;the crank 62 is'connected to the rod 57 ,and the crank 61 to ahorizontal 'rod (33, pivotally connected to hand-lever 64, pivr.

oted atf65, to the front of the instrument. By moving the hand-lever 64in the are of a circle, the rod 57 will be reciprocated andthe valves58, 59, caused to move over the ports 55, 56, .openmg and closing themin any degree required, and thus permitting the pressure in therespective wind chests to be varied; as for instance, increasing theexhaust in the low pressure wind chest 37 and decreas- .mg the exhaustin the high pressure wind chest 24. Of course,it will be understood,thatby varying the pressure in the wind chests 23, 36, the force exerted bya power pneumatic 15 upon akey 45 will be altered inproportion to thevariation in exhaust pressure, For example, if it is, desiredtoplay anac companiment very softly and the melody simultaneousl therewith, butlouder, the

lever 64 is ad usted to shift the valve 59, to

the position shown in full lines either Figs, 2 or 8, to-close the port56. This throws all of the power pneumatics 15, which respond to theaccompaniment perforations-10*, on the low pressure wind chest 37,causing them when actuated to collapse with little force and impart-acorrespondinglylight touch to the key operating levers. The melody noteswhich respond to the'perforations 10,

11, however, are'thrown onto the high pres sure wind chest 24 and are inconsequence producedw1t-h an intensity proport onal to the pressureproduced by the-performer in exhausting the high pressure wind chest 24,

and this being. under his control through I the foot pedals 70, may bevaried as desired.

. described, but itwill lie-observed that by a- Notes produced by theperforations 10, accompanled by aecentin perforations 11. are soundedwith increase intensity, as above fullopening ofboth ports 55 and 56 asin dicated by dotted'linesin Fig. 2, all notes,

--that is, both the accented and unaccentcd,

will be sounded with maximum intensity. Of course it is to be borne'inmind that,

when hi h tension is applied to chamber 36,

the chec valve 76 prevents the low tension bellows 73 from havingcommunication withthe chamber 36, since at this t me the ten- $1011 inthls chamber 1s much greater than that in the rear of the valve 76. Aforward or right handmovement of the rod 57 from the position shown inFig; 8=opens the port 55 without opening the port 56, and the tens1on 1n7 the [intermediate chamber 54: is -made equal to that in the hightension chamber 23, so that a, backward movement of the arm 57 willclose the port 55 and open the port 56', so that high tension,commensurate alone to the cubic contents of chamber 54 may acteffectively upon chamber 36. This may be accomplished without reopeningthe port-55, so that in effect momentary high tension is'appliedto thepassages 36, 35, etc'.,

until the tension in the intermediate ch'amher 54 has been reduced bythe operation of pneumatics. In this operation, the check valve 7 6prevents the interference of the large low pressure bellows '(3 with themomentary change in tension by the manipulation of the'valve 59 to openort 56. In a word, the intermediate cham er 54.- may be described asactingin this operation as a vacu- ,um pocket, causing a sort of aje'rkupon the air in what are normally low pressure passages.

- 'It now only remains for me to describe how the high and low pressureexhausts are obtained.

i Mounted on the baclr of the high and low pressure wind chests is thebellows 66, normally mamtamed in a collapsed condition there may be two,is provided on its movable face w1th the outwardly opening Valve 68, and1s connected. to the high pressure wind che'st through the outwardlyopening valve 69. This. (or these) bellows are adapted to be actuated bymeans of the foot treadles 7 O,

by means. of the springs 67. This bellows,

in the usualmanner. Mounted on the'front of the high'pr'es'surewindchest is a high pressure bellows 71., Fig. 1,conta1mngsprmg 72, anda low pressure bellows 73, F 1g. 2,

.vent the exhaust in the high pressure: wind chest from -acting upon theexhaust 1n the low pressure bellows as will be readily understood.

The valve 76' serves to prevent the high pressure exhaust from actingupon the exhaustin the low pressure chest, bellows, etc.,

in the following manner: When the valves 5 8 and-59 of the equalizingwind. chest 54 are adjusted to the-position indicatedby dotted lines inF 12, the volume of high pressure exhaust which, is thust-hro'wn in iseffective withi ithe p'assages'35 and 36, but not within the chest- 37as communication between these passage! and the low pressure chest 37is'closed. bytlle va1\"e'76.- This valve therefore, serves' to maintainthe pressure in. the 'low pressure ches-t 3-7,, while. at thesametinie'permittiugthe high pressure exhaust volume of chest 24,-to'bethrown in at will to accent ormodify one or more 'notes.

The valve 76, acts'in a similar-manner, when the valves 58 and 59 of the"equalizing chest 54 areadjusted as indicatedin dotted lines,

in" Fig.1. 2 to throw the: high pressure wind chcst'24c, intocommunication with the secondary pneumatics13. 'Su'ch high pressureexhaust becomes effective throughout the passages and 3(libut-not withinthe low pressure wind chest 37, by reason of the ac;

ingpassage. It will be seen that in shifting the' valves tion of valve76, in closing the communicat- 5S,-59,' from the posit-ion shown in fulllines in Fig. 8, to that shown'in dotted lines. the port '55,bet-weenthe equalizing chest and the lllglLlH-GSSUIG chest, continuesclosed, but the port 56 to the low pressure chest is opened.

As the equalizing chest is comparatively small, the amount of exhaustvolume represented by its capacity which may be thus suddenly throwninto the low-pressure chest 36, at the-will of the operator', is.therefore limited and the resulting action produces only a momentaryefi'ect, such for example, -as i'night be required inaccenting a singlenote or chord. On theother hand, by alight puinping'acti-onon thepedals, the low pres sure equalizing bellows may be caused to open thevalve 75,- and equalize the pressure in the high and low pressure "windchests, thereby sounding all notes very -softly \VlNtlleI accented ornot, as the high pres: sine chest has. atthat time, a low degree ofexhaust-ion. It will therefore be seen that acimplcte range ofexpression is' obtained without being limited in any manner what-- ever,andit is entirely withinthe control of the operator to produce just theeffects which he desires. In Fig.2 1 have shown a, slight modificati'ouof the ports and air passages hetween the pneu natics, Such modificationconsists in rearranging the passage 38, so that it extends intheplane-of and includes the valves 31-and 49 of both pncuniatics 13 and,:14, and is merelyintended to show that such inodification can be made.The result is the same although the method of operation of the par 5isslightly different.

- I wish it understood that} do not limit myself to themechanism'shownfor creating det ail arrangement of means maybe employed.

Having thus claim l i prising a tracker-board having two series oftracker-ducts corresponding in .number,

duced inc-ludingas a part .thereofa high value of saidexhausts, 2. Amechanical musical instrument comprising a tracker-board,haviug twoseries of between .the two exliausts' for varying the correspondingjnnumber, a series of priinatics, said pneuniatics each having two portedrelative to the pueumatiqa' series of power pneuinat-ics, exhaustapparatus, and

parts. 4

3. A mechanical musical instrument of dining devices, a source of highexhaust energy-and a source-of low exhaust energy,

devices and sources, of energy, and means controll ng the applicat on ofsaid energy-to said devices. comprising a pneumatic for haust. energyand a; pneumatic having a ..valve adaptedto yieldingly closecommunication between said passage and said source of low exhaustenergy.

- 4. ,pmechanical iausical instrumenthaving its tone producing devicessubject to two ed valve for'controlling one of said sources valve,'said'valve being capable of operation independently of said pneumatic.

5. In a. mechanical 'musical instrument, and in combination with the.key-strrlrmg wind dependent of said high andglow pressure cheststogether with valve meehanismzfor controlling the introduction of airinto' the interinediatewind chest and from the intermediate chest to thehigh pressure chest.

prising tone producing devices. a high exhaustrbainber, a low -exhaust.chamber, and a transfer channel; means/whereby said with said highexhaust chamber thereby the high audlow pressure exhaust, orothercausing said channel to be highly exhausted,

series otducts, and an intermediate means I ducts arranged in staggeredrelation and v lnzll')"1)1181111121t1p8,t seriesof secondary pneu-vpoi'tsand passages between the respective.

the class described comprising sound m passages-connecting said soundproducing" controlling communication between one'jofi said passages andsaid-source of high. ex-

sourcesof-energy, andhaving a spring seat- 1 of energv..a pneumatic foractuating saidmechanism and controlling pneumatics, a high pressure windchest, a low pressure chest, an intermediate wind chest, in-

6. 'A- ineehanical musical instrument comvalves, one fixed and the otherspring-supchannel can; be placed in communication the exhaust isincreased in saidlow exhaust i exhausted channel can be placed incommunicationwith said 10w, v exhaust chamber vices and controllingpneumatics,' a source, of high exhaust energy,-a transfer compart- .oflow exhaust and said low exhaust com operator for shutting offsaid'transfer compertinent from said source of high exhaust meanswhereby said highly exhausted chan-c nel can be shut off from said highexhaust chamber, and means whereby said'highly whereby the exhaustiuisaitl low; exhaust chamber is increased by transfer of exhaustfromsaid high exhaust chamber. '7. In a mechanical musical-instrument,- andin combination with the tone producing dement, and a manually operatedvalve for establishii'ig communication between said. source. ofhighexhaust energyland said transfer compartment, a source of lowexhanst energy, a low exhaust compartment, and an automatic valvebetween said source p'artment, and means under control of the energyand-for establishing communication lie-{W001isaid transferC(HIIPI'LI'UDQM; and said E low exhaust compartment, said automatic \'aI ve serving to shut ofl' communicationwith f said source of low exhaustencrgy,\vh ercby i' compartment by 'hig'hexhaust in said transiercompartment.

'haust, selective. means coacting' with said 'lm-ausgfor prm'lucmg themenotes, means,

81 A mechanical musical instrument com:

prising tone'producing devices, a source of energy, means connected' tosaid source of energyfor producing a high pressure ex-- (militvtflllbsaid source of energy for producnig a low T liess'ure exhaust, selectlve0 J- 0 I Z means enacting- Wltlrsard last named means for producingaccbmpaniment notes, an independent equalizing chamber and means for.varymg. the. respective value of. Saudi ex- 9.- In 'a "mechanicalmusical instrument and incombina tion with the key striking mechanismand controllingpneumatics, a

highpressnro exhaust-chest, a low pressure exhaust chest havingtwocompartments, a communicating chamber between said'chests, handcontrolled valvesin said chamber for )laoin saidhi' 'h res'sure chestinto com fi l a u munication with one .of the compartments of said lowpressure-chest independent of the other com partment.

